Roller skate



C. W. SNYDER June 6, 1950 ROLLER SKATE Filed May 31, 1946 FIG I INVENTOR. CHARLES W. SNYDER FIG3 ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1950 M I v 2,510,722

OFFI

"RUBBER. SKATE (ihalrlelwn zSnyder, iiayton, Ohio ApplicationiMay e1, 194o,seria1 .No. mazes "This invention relates to a roller skate and the main object thereof is to provide an improved flexible connection between the foot plate and the trucks o'tthe skate.

In roller skating, and more particularly in exhibition 'or figure skating, *it "is desirable that the skates shall have substantial flexibility, that is, that the "foot plate shall be ti-ltable in such a manner *as to move the trucks about a vertical axis to'steer the skate. Roller skates hasre heretoio're *providedwith some flexibility but, in most cases at Ileast, that fleXibi1ltyhas:-not been great as is ='desirable, and it "is a rurther object the invention to provide a sltate 'with increased flexibility without sacrificing ssmoothness of operation or ether-"desirable qualities of the skate further'ob'ject of thejinven'tioniisitotprovide a flexible skate in which the -foot plate may move smoothly and continuously :fromrone rtilte'd .13.0815- tionto an oppositelyitfltedpos'ition.

fur ther obje'ctrbf theinvention to .-'provide a strong durable viilexible sskateofesimple non struction.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the JSkBLtB iia'fiescribedrin xletail.

In the accompanying. drawings A [is a top plan iview V01 lasskate fembbdliin g the invention; :2 is a;siderelevationlofrsuchla skate with one wheel rremoved; 3 is a-section ita-ken'on the line -3---.3 :oi Fig. 2, showing -onerof tth'e trucks in elevation; and Fig. 411's .a section taken on :the line 4 4 of .Fig. 3.

;.-In rthese drawings ihave illustrated one :em-

bodiment ofzmyrinvention, but itgis telbe unden- I stood that the skate as ea whole, as well as the various ports thereof, may take wafious forms without departing iromthelspiritof the invention. r

In the particular embodiment (here illustrated the skate comprises .,a .rfoot plate 5 provided adjacenteach end-thereof w'itha ,depen'clingrbracket car-hanger J5 with .whichthezrespedtive Ltrucksmare connected. 'Ihertrucks at thelrespective ends of the skate are substantially identical, vand each trucklcompr ises a. truck frame! which, includes altransverse'tdbfilar1p0rtibnT8 Ttofrecive'the axle 9 on which the rollers TU ,ar'e mounteo, antl'a forwardl extending armil rig'idwith andpre'rerably orm'ed integral with "the axle -r'eceivin e part f8. m the'present arrangement the-arm H is of a relatively :great width ,and is inclined Hownwardly anti "inwardly, that toward "the fitherftruck.

' The arm "11 "01 "h etmek'iranre with the corresponding hanger t by a connectingmeinber, here shown as abolt it, the thread ed upper end portion of which is screwed into a threaded opening 133 in a socket member Ida which depends from the inner end portion of the hanger, the opening It being {at substantially right angles to the arm I]. The fbolt I2 is pro-' vid'ed'at its lower end with a head '14 or other supporting part. interposed respectively between the upper surface of the arm and the. hanger and between the lower surface of the arm and thehead P4 of 'thebolt are resilient elements which tend to hold the hanger and the foot plate in a position substantially parallel with the'axlefl. -In the presentinstance the'arm His provided with an opening 15 through which the bolt :12 extendsand which-is of-a diameterslightly greaterthanthe-diameterof the bolt to permit-the lattertotiltwith"relationtothearm. The arm' is provided in 'its upper and lower surfaces res ectively with-annular recesses '-l"6 and {1 which sur round the'opening 45' andinwhich the respective resilient members are seated. The resilient members may *be of any suitable character, but

; preferably each member-comprises a bodyor biock it of resilient material, such as soft rubber, which h ts snugly in *the oorrespondingrecess in thearm-H. Each-*biockbi material is provided with an opening '-throu gh which -the bolt-H2 extends. Preferably a substantially rigid "plate 5 I 9, of metal orthe like, interposed between the lowerend 'of the res'illent member 8-andthe head 14 df 'the bolt, this plate being' here shown in the form of a cap having an amuiar flange'to-embrace the adfiacent *end portion of "the (resilient member 18. Asimilar resilient-element is interposed between the upper side of the arm H and the-manger and valso rcomprises an apertured body 21! of resilient-material and weep 2| whieh engages :a part rigid with the hanger. the present instance a nut 22 is mounted on the threaded portion of t the 'b'olt end isprovided its mnper end with a recess 23 to -receive lower end portion of the socket =member Ma which' is mreierably slightly tapered, as shown at '24, to provide a snug fit in -tine-recess oi the nut; "The bolt' is provided *with means whereby it may flee rotated and adjusted lengthwise v *co'rnnected 5 portion-of thehangertoprevent themovement of the arm I I about the axis of the axle 9, and the bracing means is adjustable to accommodate the same to the adjustments of the bolt l2. As here shown the truck frame comprises a boss 26 rigid with and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the axle receiving part 8 of the frame. The boss is provided with a screw threaded socket to receive a screw 21 which is pivotally connected at its upper end with the hanger to permit the hanger and foot plate to tilt with relation thereto. In the present construction the screw 21 is provided with a substantially spherical upper end portion 28 which is seated in and has bearing contact with a socket 29 in the outer end portion of the hanger. The screw is preferably provided adjacent the spherical head 28 with flattened portions 30 to receive a wrench or other implement for adjusting the screw, and the screw is also provided with a locking nut 3| whereby it may be rigidly secured in adjusted positions.

The two truck frames are rigidly connected and braced one against the other by a longitudinal bar 32, the end portions of which extend between the caps 2i and the nuts 22 of the respective truck assemblies. Each end portion is apertured and each nut 22 is provided at its lower endwith a portion of reduced diameter which extends through the adjacent opening in the bar 32, thus rigidly connecting the bar with the bolts l2 and hangers 6 of the respective truck assemblies.

The provision of resilient elements above and below the arm H of the truck frame permits of a substantial tilting of the foot plate and enables the same to move smoothly and continuously from one inclined position to another inclined position. The resilient elements being seated in the recesses in the arm I I and the bolt fitting tightly in the respective resilient elements enables the resilient elements to prevent vibratory or wobbling movement of the arm and the truck frame, which in ordinary flexible skates is apt to occur as the foot plate moves from one inclined position to another. The resiliency of the resilient elements can be quickly and easily adjusted to meet the requirements or preference of the skater. The adjustment of the arm II by the bolt I2 is permitted and compensated for by the corresponding adjustment of .the screw 27.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A roller skate comprising a foot plate, a hanger, a truck frame including an axle receiving part and an arm rigid with and extending inwardly and downwardly from said axle receiving part and having an opening therethrough, said hanger including a downwardly extending part having therein a screw threaded socket at substantially a right angle to the normal position of said arm and in line with said opening, a bolt extending loosely through the opening in said arm, having its upper end screwed into said socket and having a head at its lower end, a nut threaded onto said bolt and engaging said downwardly extending part of said hanger, and longitudinally adjustable means for pivotally connecting the outer portion of said truck frame with the outer portion of said hanger, resilient elements interposed respectively between said arm and the head of said bolt and between said am and said nut.

2. A roller skate comprising a foot plate, a hanger, a truck frame including an axle receiving part and an arm rigid with and extending inwardly and downwardly from said axle receiving part and having an opening therethrough, said hanger including a downwardly extending part having therein a screw threaded socket at substantially a right angle to the normal position of said arm and in line with said opening, a bolt extending loosely through the opening in said arm, having its upper end screwed into said socket and having a head at its lower end, a nut threaded onto said bolt and engaging said downwardly extending part of said hanger, and longitudinally adjustable means for pivotally connecting the outer portion of said truck frame with the outer portion of said hanger, resilient elements interposed respectively between said arm and the head of said bolt and between said arm and said nut, said nut having a recessed upper portion fitting snugly about the lower end of said downwardly extending part of said hanger.

3. A roller skate comprising a foot plate, a hanger, a truck frame including an axle receiving part and an arm rigid with and extending inwardly from said axle receiving part, a bolt extending loosely through said arm, having at its upper end screw threaded connection with said hanger and having a supporting part at its lower end, a resilient element confined between the lower side of said arm and said supporting part and a second resilient element confined between the upper side of said arm and a part fixed with relation to said hanger, said truck frame also including a part rigid therewith, extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and provided with an upwardly facing screw threaded socket, and an inclined elongate member having a screw threaded lower portion adjustably mounted in said socket and having at its upper end universal pivotal connection with said hanger.

a. A roller skate comprising a foot plate, a hanger secured to said foot plate adjacent the respective ends thereof and each having adjacent its inner end a downwardly extending screw threaded socket member, a truck beneath each end of said foot plate, each truck including a frame having a transverse axle receiving member and an arm extending inwardly from said axle receiving member, said arm having an opening therethrough, a headed bolt extending through the opening in said arm-and having a threaded upper end adjustably mounted in the socket member of the corresponding hanger, a nut on said threaded end of said bolt, having a recess into which the lower'end of said socket member extends and having a lower end portion of reduced diameter, a resilient element interposed between the lower side of said arm and the head of said bolt, a second resilient member interposed between the upper side of said arm and said nut, said truck frame having a part rigid therewith and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom, an elongatemember adjustably connected with said part of said truck frame and having universal pivotal connection with said hanger, and a bar having its end portions arranged respectively between the upper resilient elements and the nuts of the respective truck assemblies, said end portions having-apertures into which the reduced end portions of the respective nuts extend.

5. A roller skate comprising a foot plate, a hanger, a truck frame including an axle receivin part and a relatively wide arm extending inwardly from said axle receiving part, said arm having an opening therethrough and having in the upper and lower surfaces thereof recesses surrounding said opening, resilient elements seated in the respective recesses and having openings in line with the opening in said arm, a bolt extending through said resilient members and said arm, having at its upper end screw threaded connection with said hanger and having at its lower end a head in supporting engagement with the lower resilient member, the upper end of said upper resilient member engaging a part fixed with relation to said hanger, said truck frame having an upwardly and outwardly inclined boss, and a screw having threaded connection with said boss and having universal pivotal connection with said hanger.

6. A roller skate comprising a foot plate, hangers secured to said foot plate adjacent the respective ends thereof and each having adjacent its inner end a downwardly extending screw threaded socket member, a truck beneath each end of said foot plate, each truck including a frame having a transverse axle receiving member, a

boss extending upwardly and outwardly from said axle receiving member and a relatively wide arm extending inwardly from said axle receiving member, said arm having an opening therethrough and having in its upper and lower sides recesses surrounding said opening, a headed bolt extending through the opening in said arm and having a threaded upper end adjustably mounted in the socket member of the corresponding hanger, a nut on said threaded portion of said bolt having a recess into which the lower end of said socket member extends and having a lower end portion of reduced diameter, a block of resilient material seated in the upper recess in said arm and extending about said bolt, a cap on the upper end of said block engaging said nut, a second block of resilient material seated in the lower recess in said arm, a cap on the lower end of said lower block engaging the head of said bolt, a screw adjustably mounted in the boss of said truck frame and pivotally connected with the corresponding hanger, and a bar having its end portions arranged between the upper resilient blocks and the nuts of the respective truck assemblies, said end portions having apertures into which the reduced end portions of the respective nuts extend.

CHARLES W. SNYDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 243,761 Cox July 5, 1881 2,341,576 Shye Feb. 15, 1944 2,373,220 Blaes Apr. 10, 1945 

